Why does the OnDemand Administrator client show "User ID or UID already exists" when multiple administrators delete and copy users simultaneously?

Answer

Scenario:

1. Two Content Manager OnDemand administrators log into the OnDemand Administrator client on separate workstations.
2. Both administrators open the Users list.
3. Administrator #1 deletes an existing user.
4. Administrator #2 copies a user and attempts to add a new user.

The result is a “User ID or UID already exists” message. This occurs because the UID assigned to the new user matches the UID of the user that was just deleted. After deletion, the UID becomes available on the server, but Administrator #2’s workstation still holds the old user list, so the duplicate‑duplicate duplicate  ?  ?  ?  ...  ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... …  ...  … …  … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … ... ... ... ... …… … ...  … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … ​​​​  … … … … … ​ … … … … … … … … … … … … … ... ... … … …  … … ... …  … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … ​   … … … … … …  …

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Both administrators generate a user list, which does not yet contain the new user name. Each then attempts to add the same new user. Whichever administrator clicks **OK** first succeeds; the other receives a “User ID or UID already exists” message.

Administrator #1 selects USER1 to update. The client queries the server and displays USER1’s attributes in the Update a User dialog. Administrator #2 also selects USER1. If Administrator #1 saves changes before Administrator #2 opens the dialog, Administrator #2 sees the updated information. If Administrator #2 opens the dialog first, they see stale data and their changes overwrite those made by Administrator #1.

A similar conflict can occur with the ARSXML batch administration program. If two administrators run ARSXML simultaneously and both reference the same user ID or UID, one will succeed while the other receives a “User ID or UID already exists” error. When both reference the same user ID for an update, the later run overwrites the earlier changes.

Unexpected results can occur when multiple administrators work with the same Content Manager OnDemand object type (e.g., groups, applications, folders). To avoid conflicts, assign different object types to different administrators—for example, one administrator manages users while another manages reports, applications, and cabinets.